


Time Warps

by faithinthepoor



Series: warehouse 13 [3]
Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-02
Updated: 2013-01-02
Packaged: 2017-11-23 08:54:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/620327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithinthepoor/pseuds/faithinthepoor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during the episode 3…..2…..1</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time Warps

**Author's Note:**

> In my series this follows my [warehouse 13 drabbles](http://archiveofourown.org/works/620313), and [Best Laid Plans](http://archiveofourown.org/works/620323)

HG reappears mid tirade and seems to deflate when she realises that Pete is not there to be yelled at. Myka waits for HG to cool down and then she takes a seat in the back of the car and gestures for HG to follow her. HG does not comply; she remains frozen in position and shoots Myka a look of annoyance. Myka doesn’t have time for games so she leans over and opens the door closer to HG and says, “Would you just get in?”

“I can’t Myka.”

“HG just do as I ask. Pete will be back soon and I want to talk to you.”

“I’m happy to talk to you darling but I don’t think attempting to get into the car will be much help.” To illustrate her point HG steps through the door and then through the car. She stands next to Myka and it is disconcerting for Myka to see the roof of the car cutting off part of HG’s head. “It seems your car isn’t quite tall enough.” Before Myka has a chance to reply HG moves through the car and stands outside waiting for Myka. 

“Couldn’t just go back the way she came,” Myka mutters to herself. She is certain that HG walked the way she did so that she could pass through Myka’s body, a fact that Myka has very mixed feelings about. She pulls the far door shut and then exits the vehicle to stand next to HG. “I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t think that through.”

“It’s ok. I don’t imagine you spend a lot of your time thinking about the limitations that I face.”

That is simply not true. Myka has spent an alarming about of time pondering HG’s status as a projection. She knows that somewhere there is a flesh and blood HG but as things stand Myka’s only possible contact with HG will be with her incorporeal form. She knows that HG is not exactly a hologram. HG’s explanation was that they could project her consciousness but Myka’s not really sure what that means. She wonders if it’s like the time machine and HG’s living, breathing body is lying dormant somewhere. It upsets her to think that while HG is here, so to speak, that the real HG might be left in a very vulnerable position.

She has a lot of questions about the projection and the type of the prison that HG is contained in but the bigger question is why she spends so much of her time thinking about the nature of HG’s existence. If it were a choice she wouldn’t think about HG at all. Myka left the warehouse under far from ideal circumstances and HG had a lot to do with that. In fact HG had everything to do with that. She tries so hard to tell herself that it didn’t happen, that she’s still the person she was before she met HG, but it doesn’t work.

Her return to the Warehouse had as much to do with HG as her departure and that does not sit comfortably with Myka. While she was hiding away in the bookstore she could almost pretend that none of it had happened. That the whole Warehouse thing had been nothing more than a fantasy dreamt up by a girl who spent her life with her nose in a book. 

In some ways it wasn’t hard to believe that none of it had been real. After all it’s not the sort of thing one can talk about, well not if you wanted to stay out of mental institutions. The truth was not something available to her and she had to live with her parents thinking that she was an incompetent idiot who had crashed her way out of the Secret Service. She knows that people must have been talking about her, gleefully whispering about her fall from grace. If her exile to nowhereville didn’t provide them with enough schadenfreude, her early retirement would have delivered in spades.

There was a time when it would have killed her to think that her work ethic could be questioned. Knowing what people felt about her when Sam died was almost more than she could handle. It was crippling to feel that her judgement was brought into question. No one saw her as an agent with an excellent record. All the good that she had ever done was undermined by one moment. She knows that people won’t speak ill of the dead but it was hard to mourn Sam when she had to deal with the fact that he was being lionized while she was seen as a pariah.

Whatever people think of her now, she can take comfort in the fact that it won’t be the truth. She knows they will probably question her morals, once you are tarred with the scarlet letter of adultery it’s impossible to wash it off. Accuracy isn’t relevant in such circumstances. The facts can only get in the way of a good story. It was much more enjoyable to cast her as a home wreaker than to acknowledge that Sam’s marriage was already over. They chose to believe she let her emotions get the better of her back then and she is sure they think the same now. In a way it’s disappointing that she can’t blow their minds by letting them know that she fell in love with a 150 year old homicidal maniac. 

It’s strange to realise that she no longer cares what others think of her. She is beyond their judgement. They will never judge her harshly enough. It’s why she had to judge herself. Why she had to leave the Warehouse. It wasn’t just that she was a danger or that she couldn’t trust herself, it was that didn’t deserve to be somewhere that made her happy. Not that she was likely to ever be truly happy again but that wasn’t really the point.

Pete showing up out of the blue reminded her of everything that she was missing. She won’t deny that it felt good to be useful. Useful is actually an understatement, she was essential. Leaving a situation that could only be solved by a literate person in the hands of Pete would have guaranteed multiple deaths. 

She did feel a surge of excitement as her knowledge handed each of those men their life back but it wasn’t enough to change her mind. Even learning that Pete had replaced her so quickly didn’t alter her belief that she needed to continue her self-imposed exile. At times she did wonder if Pete was trying to use reverse psychology to get her to come back but then she reminded herself that she was talking about Pete Lattimer and he simply would not have put that much thought into the matter. That’s not to say that his actions didn’t wound her pride. 

When she said a second final goodbye to Pete she was certain that there was nothing in the world that could drag her back to the Warehouse. She really shouldn’t have tempted fate like that. Or maybe she just shouldn’t have doubted the power of Mrs Frederic. Having Mrs Frederic materialise and offer her thanks meant a lot to Myka but Myka knew that it would do nothing to alter the status quo. Looking back it seems like Mrs Frederic was already a step ahead of her because the mysterious woman countered with the one thing Myka was powerless to resist.

She didn’t know how to act when she saw HG. Few things have been so terrifying. It was reasonable to fear HG, the woman had tried to destroy the world, but the thing that frightened Myka the most was how happy she was to see her. She was unprepared for the feeling of loss she experienced when she realised that HG wasn’t actually present. It seems that, as determined as she was not to touch HG, learning that contact was impossible was a source of physical pain for Myka.

HG’s words were eloquent and heartfelt and only a tiny bit crazy but it probably wouldn’t have mattered what HG had said to her. Knowing that HG was out there somewhere and that it was possible to communicate with her was enough to seal the deal for Myka. Returning to the Warehouse was suddenly the only viable option. She is certain that the Regents knew this. She was reckless in the aftermath of HG’s betrayal and she didn’t bother to keep her feelings hidden.

It stands to reason that the Regents must see her as a weak link. After all they used her weakness to manipulate her into returning. Myka is determined not to let them continue to hold her flaws against her. When they held the round table to establish whether or not she was fit to remain on active duty she did her best to turn the situation to her advantage. She looked them in the eye and gave them the analogy of the destructiveness of hidden love. She hopes that they understood her message. They may feel they orchestrated her return but she is back on her terms and she will not allow them to use HG as a stick to beat her with.

Trying to maintain the balance of power is proving difficult. She felt completely in control when she suggested that they utilise HG’s expertise for this case but now that HG is here Myka is neglecting her work in order to try and sort things out with HG. That is not the sort of agent she wants to be.

“I didn’t mean to be insensitive,” she tells HG. 

“I’ll have to live with my pain. I understand that support groups are all the rage nowadays but I doubt that there’s one available for my predicament.”

“You’ll have to found one then.”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to recruit additional members.”

“Maybe it could be a group for those whose consciousness has been transported and the people who care about them.”

“Would you attend?” HG steps closer to Myka and even though Myka knows HG isn’t really there she still feels her heart rate accelerate.

“Are you trying to ask if I still care about you?”

“I would have preferred not to have to be so blunt.”

“Well then excuse me for being crass.”

“It’s not about vulgarity, it’s a matter of subtlety.”

“Let me rephrase then, excuse me for being so transparent.”

“Myka I’m assuming that you sent Pete away. I’m going to be ever so disappointed if I learn you only did that so that you could pick a fight with me.”

“That wasn’t the reason,” she takes a breath and tries to calm herself. “I really did want to talk.”

“On the topic of Pete. You should have let me finish the argument with him. He is no match for me in the verbal sparring arena. If I had a physical form he wouldn’t be a match for me in any sparring arena.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate him. He had a lot of vibes about you.”

“I have a feeling that you might have had a few vibes of your own.”

“My vibes weren’t quite as along the lines of worrying that you would try to end the world as they should have been.”

“So he was concerned about me trying to end the world?”

“Much more so than I was.”

“And yet he did nothing. He really should be ashamed of himself.”

“That’s not fair.”

“And it’s not fair to prevent Pete and I from fighting our battles.”

“I don’t like having to watch the two of you fight.”

“I’ll try harder not to rise to the bait then.”

“It’s not even you that he’s angry with.”

“He’s behaviour would certainly suggest otherwise.”

“He’s mad at me. He blames you for me leaving, for taking me away, but I’m the one he’s really mad at.”

“Well in that case I wish he would project his anger more appropriately.”

“He won’t admit he’s angry at me. You are a much more convenient target.”

“You do lack my Machiavellian edge.”

“You don’t think I can be conniving?”

“Myka I know you are far more cunning than people give you credit for but when it comes to moustache twirling evil you are simply not in my league.”

“I’m not sure that I want to be.”

“What evil or sporting a moustache?”

“Either.”

“But you have had an image change. I like the hair very much.”

“After what happened I just wanted to be different. Better maybe. I’m not sure it was possible to feel better but I really wanted to be different.”

HG goes to touch Myka’s hair and a look of displeasure crosses her face as her fingers pass through the strands. She quickly regains her composure and then asks, “Are you sure you weren’t trying to look like me?”

“I’ve thought about that. I’m pretty sure it’s what everyone’s thinking. If that’s the reason it wasn’t a conscious one.”

HG leans in closer and whispers, ‘Oh I do like thought of plaguing your subconscious.”

“Don’t get too carried away. It could just be that I just wanted to be able to look in the mirror and not see the woman who was stupid enough to fall in love with you and that I happened to have a straightening iron handy.”

“Well I am going to continue to think that it was about me. The unconscious mind can be quite primitive. It’s rather nice to believe that I’m running around in yours.”

“Forgive me if I don’t want you running around in my mind at all.”

“I can understand you feeling that way but I’m sorry that you do. Are you ok with my being here?”

“This was my suggestion. I wanted your help on this case. I fought for it in fact.”

“I assume that one of the people you had to fight was Pete.”

“He was on the list. You shouldn’t be so hard on him though. He did go away when I asked him too.”

“Did he know you were going to talk to me?”

“I didn’t get into specifics but I’m sure it was implied.”

“Then I should grateful.”

“He’s not all bad and he does try to make me happy.”

“I want to make you happy too and I want to help on this case but I don’t want to make things difficult for you. Maybe it would be better for you if I wasn’t around. You can always call me back if you need further assistance.”

She will not tell HG that she’s not capable of that or that it makes her feel so much better just to see her, “I’m sure you will be able to continue to provide some insight.”

“I like being around you but I’m sure you can just run with the information that I’ve already given you.”

“I’m familiar with your tale,” Myka says snidely.

“You asked to hear it.” HG sounds defensive.

“I didn’t ask you to tell the story in such graphic detail.”

“I believe I am known as a bit of a wordsmith my dear.”

“A fact which I would normally appreciate but I think you could have edited your tale out of consideration to me.”

“And there I was thinking that you might find tales of me being dashing and heroic rather titillating.”

“I have no problem with you being heroic.”

“But dashing makes you uncomfortable?” HG asks as she gives Myka a look that produces butterflies in Myka’s stomach.

“Certain aspects of your charm are difficult for me to hear about.”

“Myka are you jealous?” HG asks with a laugh.

“The way I feel is more in the realm of cheap,” Myka corrects. 

“It makes you feel bad about yourself to learn that my conquests have been numerous?”

“It certainly doesn’t make me feel special.”

“Myka,” HG goes to reach for her and then groans in frustration. 

“It’s ok. You never really made it a secret.”

“It’s true I’ve had many lovers.”

“I think we’ve established that,” Myka looks away and is glad that HG can’t touch her.

“But I’ve had very few loves.”

“Is that so?” she says and then bites her lip.

“Absolutely.”

“Ok.” Myka refuses to look at HG and she refuses to ask which category she falls into. 

“In fact for me the two were almost mutually exclusive.”

“That’s handy to know.”

“Are you really going to make me spell this out for you?”

“I’m not going to make you do anything. I’d prefer if we moved off this topic entirely.”

“Well before we close I want to put on the record that you were an exception. You were a big love.’

“Really?” Myka can feel tears forming. The comfort of learning that she might have meant something to HG has been undermined by the tense HG used.

“I don’t love that easily. In my life I have loved my Christina and I have loved my Myka.” In spite of all her better judgement Myka raises her head and meets HG’s eyes.

“You don’t mean that.”

“You don’t think I love you?”

“I can’t imagine that you could have had as many dalliances as you did and not have had feelings for some of them.”

“I enjoyed their company and I cared for some of them but nothing as deep as love.”

“HG you are not that cold.”

“It’s not about being cold it’s about the fact that it’s not easy for me to meet equals.”

“You don’t think you might have an elevated opinion of yourself?”

“At least I have an elevated opinion of both of us,” HG’s smile is wicked and infectious.

“Should I take that as a compliment?”

“It was most certainly meant as one.”

“It does lose some of its shine when I think about the fact that you’ve not met that many people from my time that you weren’t busy trying to kill.” Myka smiles to soften her words.

“True but at least you can rest assured that my dating options are limited at present.” HG’s tone is light but the reality of her words hits Myka like a truck.

“What’s it like for you? Are you ok?”

“I’m unlikely to go any more insane than I already am.”

“I worry about you being there.”

“Are you going to try to follow though with your promise to find me?”

“HG you must know that I want to, it’s just…well…it’s just….” there is no good way to explain it to HG.

“It’s ok Myka. I meant it when I said that it’s good that you’re back at the Warehouse. I don’t want you give that up.”

“You really did like being an agent didn’t you?”

“Almost more than anything.”

“That’s the part of your story that I don’t understand.”

“I thought it was my rampant promiscuity that bothered you.” HG raises an eyebrow.

“I’m not going to be singing from the mountains tops about that, no.”

“Myka I can’t change the past, we both know I’ve tried. When it comes to my assignations I wouldn’t want to change things. I’m not ashamed to say that I enjoyed myself. What matters is how I feel now. Even though nothing can come of it I’m totally yours.”

“It’s not fair for you to tell me that.”

“Life’s not very fair my love. What was the other part of my story that bothered you?”

“You stopped things. You could have let him play out his plan to keep Brittan powerful and in control of the Warehouse. Christina was already gone but you were still fighting the good fight. Why couldn’t you have stayed like that?”

“Hope dies I guess. Or maybe I wasn’t as strong as I like to think I am. On the plus side I’m not bronzed this time so things should go better.”

“Surely they would want to make your punishment worse this time.”

“I can’t think of anything worse than being in the bronze sector. Knowing you were so close and that I could never touch you would be torture.”

“You think it might turn you into the type of mad woman who tries to destroy the world?”

“It’s entirely possible,” HG replies and her eyes sparkle with mirth. “At least this way I occasionally get to see you. Things could be worse.”

“It’s true that I wouldn’t like you to be in the bronze sector. I would probably be down there all the time talking to you.”

“I don’t hate that thought.”

“I do. I also hate that, even though I get to see you, I can’t touch you.”

“Are you telling me that you want to touch me Myka?” HG has moved so close that if things were different Myka would feel HG’s breath on her face.

“It would be nice to have the option.”

“Mmmmm it most certainly would.” HG’s gaze makes Myka feel like prey.

“Helena?”

“Yes.”

“In the form that you’re in are you insubstantial to everything?”

“You know that I am.”

“Absolutely everything?” Myka asks and stares at HG intently.

“Agent Bering are you trying to ask me if I’m capable of touching myself?”

Myka can feel herself blush. She is fairly certain that the redness has stretched all the way to the top of her ears. “I guess I am.”

“Well isn’t that interesting,” HG states cryptically.

“Don’t make me ask you twice.”

HG pokes herself in the arm. “I certainly feel solid enough. Whether I’m sensitive enough is a whole different issue.”

“But it might be, well, possible?” Myka asks.

“I certainly would not exclude the possibility. Even if the tactile feedback that I receive in this form turns out to be lacking I do happen to have superior skills in the realm of imagination. I’m sure it would prove sufficient for our needs.”

The thought alone nearly breaks Myka’s brain but she drags herself back to reality. “It doesn’t really matter. I don’t think we’ll be given the opportunity to test your theory.”

“Trust me Myka. Now that you’ve put the possibility of having another chance to see you naked and writhing into my head I won’t rest until I make it a reality.”

“Well it’s certainly important to have goals.”

“I’ve always thought so.” HG looks smug and Myka is embarrassed by how turned on that makes her. She would give anything to be able to kiss her right now.  
She thought she was doing a reasonable job of masking her feelings but her arousal must be clear to HG as HG voice is low as she asks, “How long do you think we have until Pete gets back?”

“I’m not sure,” she replies and her eyes flit in the direction that Pete walked off in.

“Because I feel this theory is something that requires rigorous testing.”

“It would be irresponsible not to,” Myka agrees and unbuttons her own jacket.

“I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth,” HG says and locks her gaze onto Myka’s breasts, “but I do so wish I could be the one to remove your clothing.”

“I wish that too but I guess I’ll have to make do with pretending it’s you.”

“So long as you’re thinking of me.”

“I’m never not thinking of you,” Myka confesses.

HG closes her eyes but it seems she can not stop the tear that escapes, “My Myka.”

“Sentiment later HG. Sex now.”

“I do like your priorities Agent Bering.”

Myka’s about to drop her coat to the ground when she hears Pete yell out, “Myks I’ve given you enough time with the Wicked Witch of the West. It’s time put the evil genie back in her bottle because I’m coming back now.”

HG groans, “I so hate that man.”

“I’m not liking him right now either,” Myka says. “I don’t like having to do this to you.” Myka opens the car door and retrieves the sphere.

“It’s ok. I’d prefer not to be around now that Pete has spoiled our perfectly good plans.” HG smiles and winks at her.

“I’ll see you soon.”

“Definitely.”

Myka twists the device and HG disappears. 

The case drags without HG. Which is saying something given these events span the life of three different generations of Warehouse agents and Myka would normally be fascinated by something so complex. They make the necessary breakthrough but without HG it feels hollow. It doesn’t help that Pete is doing his best to be completely unappealing. Licking the Farnsworth is something that she would find gross at the best of times but having him do this on the heels of spending time with HG does make him seem particularly primitive and repellent. 

She knows that there were a lot of innocent lives at stake but she has to admit that it annoyed her when Pete was willing to use HG to save the day. If Myka had have done the same he would have been critical and told her it was not necessary. 

Myka was proud of HG’s honesty and the fact that she was able to talk Daniel down but she suspects that Pete didn’t believe a word HG said. She knows that HG wasn’t in danger and that Daniel had no chance of shooting her even if he wanted to but she can’t help but wonder if Pete would have still sent HG in if it were entirely possible that she would be hurt if not killed. She hates to have to think this because she trusts Pete with her life. She’s just not sure she can trust him with Helena’s life. 

Pete does tell HG that she did good work but Myka feels that might be more for her benefit than for HG’s. In a way Pete coming along at the time that he did was blessing. She’s not sure that she would have been able to say goodbye to Helena otherwise. That doesn’t mean she’s not resentful. She was definitely having a movement with HG. They weren’t saying all that much and yet they said everything. They both knew the truth. What they had was important. What they had was worth fighting for. Their timing just sucked. Or rather HG’s timing sucked.

The woman that stood before Myka knew all the things that the woman who shot them in Warehouse 2 didn’t. This HG knew that death and destruction would not take her pain away. She knew that she could love and miss Christina without closing her heart off to the rest of the world. She knew that her place was at the Warehouse. That her place was beside Myka. Unfortunately none of that mattered because HG had acquired the knowledge too late.

Myka was aware that they had missed their window and that their fates were sealed. She stared into HG’s eyes and tried to convey the depth of her feelings and then rotated the device and watched as the thing she cares most about in the world dissipated. 

Having HG back, however briefly, was amazing but it wasn’t enough. Right now it isn’t their time but Myka is sure that the day will come where she will find a way to return HG to her rightful place. HG belongs at the Warehouse and she belongs with Myka.


End file.
